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Saturday

Friday

Hurricanes cost taxpayers billions of dollars, but the government has not invested enough money in understanding them, according to a federal report released Friday that calls for more coordinated research. RED ORBIT

Speaking on openness in government on Tuesday: "We believe that the more we inform our American citizens, the better our government will be." And: "The more transparency there is in the system, the better the system functions on behalf of the American people." Joshuah Bearman/HuffPo

``The government urgently needs a believable, clear and realistic plan to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions,'' said the report. ``It must establish and commit to short-and long-term national goals. PLANET SAVE

The hitherto unreported attacks have been kept secret by the Bush administration for fear that it would damage attempts to co-opt China in diplomatic offensives against North Korea and Iran. Telegraph UK via DRUDGE

Don your mask, tights, and magic bracelets (if you you've got 'em) and prepare to party for Truth, Justice and American Values at Halloween Miami 2006, whose theme this year is "Superheroes Hit the Beach." SAVE Dade's annual costume extravaganza, slated for Saturday, October 28 at the Miami Children's Museum. MORE INFO: SAVE DADE

“We cannot allow the American people to lose faith in the most fundamental aspect of our democratic system – the right to vote,” Feingold said. “Some of the problems we saw this year, like voters in Maryland being told to come back later because the machines weren’t working, are simply unacceptable. A back-up plan as simple as having emergency paper ballots on hand is essential to preventing election day disasters.” COMMON DREAMS

Why are all documentary filmmakers liberals?That’s one question that comes to mind while watching The U.S. vs. John Lennon, a chronicle of how the US government persecuted the late ex-Beatle and his wife Yoko Ono. THE PHOENIX

Olbermann: The political debate still raging over Mr. Clinton’s remarks in a Fox News interview Sunday has overshadowed the debate Mr. Clinton suggested the nation ought to have… a discussion of what steps the Bush administration took to get Osama bin Laden or destroy al Qaeda before September 11th. CROOKS & LIARS

We have serious reason to worry about Olbermann's safety. Last night, he reported that he'd been threatened, apparently with some anthrax-like substance that required him to be subjected to 10 hours of detention in a hospital. He was discharged with a prescription for Cipro. OpEd News

"CNN's Anderson Cooper will anchor Anderson Cooper 360 for three nights from the Democratic Republic of the Congo from Tuesday, Oct. 3, through Thursday, Oct. 5, as part of the program's weeklong emphasis on violence and political turmoil in several African nations," MEDIA BISTRO

In 2000, Halliburton was the 20th largest federal contractor, receiving $763 million in federal contracts. By 2005, Halliburton had grown to become the sixth largest federal contractor, receiving nearly $6 billion in federal contracts during that year. COMMON DREAMS

Tuesday

Appearing on MSNBC today, Rev. Jerry Falwell responded to criticism of his recent attack comparing Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to Lucifer. Asked whether his remarks were disrespectful, Falwell said, “I do not.” MSNBC’s anchor then asked, “So I take this to mean that will you not be apologizing to Hillary Clinton?” Falwell answered, “No, I will say it over and over again.” Falwell said it was clear his comments were tongue-in-cheek “because there’s no way that Lucifer’s going to run [for president].” Watch it: THINK PROGRESS

Former Minnesota Governor, actor and wrestling star Jesse Ventura has publicly questioned the official version of events behind 9/11 and gone further than ever before in citing Operation Northwoods and the Gulf of Tonkin as examples of how the government has planned and carried out staged war provocations in the past. PRISON PLANET

Earth may be close to the warmest it has been in the last million years, especially in the part of the Pacific Ocean where potentially violent El Nino weather patterns are born, climate scientists reported Monday. ENN

The French have a very special way with cars and don't seem to take any inspiration at all from rival automakers in other countries. This attitude often creates some of the most original and innovative designs in the industry -- and the occasional disaster too. CANADA.COM

The Army's top officer withheld a required 2008 budget plan from Pentagon leaders last month after protesting to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld that the service could not maintain its current level of activity in Iraq plus its other global commitments without billions in additional funding. LA TIMES via WRH

Sunday

Letter to a Christian Nation is Mr. Harris's response to the thousands of letters (many of them threats from Christians) that he received in reply to The End of Faith. It is a take-no-prisoners approach to the hideous morality of the Bible and the people who follow it... AMERICAN CHRONICLE

There seems to be a bit of a controversy over an ad created for Lexus. Specifically, the ad has been accused (if that's the right word) of using imagery that evokes the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. ADJAB

Pop singer Madonna on Thursday defended staging a mock crucifixion during her record-breaking "Confessions" world tour, saying it was not "anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous" -- but a plea for people to help one another. YAHOO NEWS

In his new book "How Bush Rules: Chronicles of a Radical Regime," he reports on the revolt of the generals. Their alienation was unexpected, a surprise perhaps most of all to themselves. HuffPo via Yahoo

Right-wing Republicans are weird. When gays and lesbians want to marry and raise kids in the suburbs, the right-wingers freak out. "Perverts!" they scream at these bland strivers. But when supposedly straight soldiers in the army, marines and CIA engage in male-on-male rape and other acts of homosexual sadism so bizarre and extreme they turn off the average, gay-marriage-craving civilian, Republican legislators think it's the best thing ever. Ted Rall via Yahoo

This morning on Imus, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews blasted the media for not covering the Iraq war. Matthews said that while people are still fighting and dying the Iraq, war “has been taken off television, and Bush must love it.” THINK PROGRESS

Rosie O'Donnell trained her gaydar on Oprah Winfrey and her BFF Gayle King on "The View," saying that the talk-show queen and her BFF Gayle King are, despite their protestations to the contrary and despite their not being full-blown lovers, "a tiny bit gay." TMZ

Wednesday

The Daily Show (9/18) nails this segment on gays in the military, juxtaposing the case of Bleu Copas (the linguist who was outed by email in July) with an interview of nutjob Dr. Paul Cameron. TOWLEROAD

Appearing before a group of journalists and international policy leaders at Reuters' offices in New York, mogul-cum-mega-philanthropist Ted Turner said Tuesday that he thought the media -- particularly in the U.S. -- should work harder to cover all parts of the world "honestly, intelligently, and regularly," E&P via HuffPo

Sean Hannity blames all problems of sex on women these days. Why should a man be burdened with controlling himself. It’s not surprising to hear a right wing talk show host take it out on them, after all–they look sooo good. When are these extreme Christian men going to take some responsibility for anything relating to sex? CROOKS & LIARS

In this brief video on current.tv, you will see why transexuality is, in fact, allowed in Iran (homosexuality is still considered a sin and illegal); and how some of them live in their strict Islamic society. big queer blog

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the United States represents "the tyrants of the world today" and called Chavez "my brother" and "the champion, the leader of the struggle against imperialism." YAHOO NEWS

Hooded seals typically are found in the deep waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. But for reasons scientists don't fully understand, an unusually high number of the seals has been reported this year along the east coast of the United States, including the two seals that came ashore locally this weekend. Palm Beach Post

Monday

Now whom are we to believe, in this matter of human-rights violations by Cuba? The Cuban officials or the purveyors of democracy in the "free press" paid for by the US government -- not exactly distinguished by its regard for truth? ONLINE JOURNAL

During his speech Friday in which the President argued for the gutting of the Geneva convention and the legal classification of torture, Bush made a strange comment about explosives and their placement in U.S. buildings. Was this a tacit admission of 9/11 controlled demolition? PRISON PLANET

NBC spent $3.5 million to makeover the set of the Today show, but, as Page Six reports, Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer are not happy. Despite the chipper attitude they show on television, insider's say the hosts, more or less, hate their toted "new diggs." JOSSIP

The Times of London reports the arms manufacturer, with support from Britain's Ministry of Defence, will attempt to produce the environmentally friendly weapons as part of a new initiative to limit the impact of its munitions on the world's environment. RED ORBIT

In an echo of the intelligence wars that preceded the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a high-stakes struggle is brewing within the Bush administration and in Congress over Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program and involvement in terrorism. RAW STORY

Mr. Master Of Beats, Y'all is giving up email for the rest of the year, and won't be using voicemail, either. "I know this might be a disaster," reads the note. "It might make me more sane. RADAR ONLINE

Three of America's most controversial women — Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, and Rosie O'Donnell — just launched an all-women-run radio network, promising to offer programming that's less polarizing than the typical all-talk AM radio fare. CBS NEWS

Sunday

Speaking of George W. Bush, Gloria Steinem said, "The world is divided into two kinds of people. People who divide the world into two kinds of people, and people who don't, and that's his problem." ONE GOOD MOVE has the clip.

"On January 6, 2000 a group of musicians and music-loving technologists came together with the idea of creating the most comprehensive analysis of music ever. Over the past 6 years, they have carefully listened to the songs of over 10,000 different artists - ranging from popular to obscure - and analyzed the musical qualities of each song one attribute at a time."

Maverick entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin, best known for bringing the low-cost Yugo car to America, has delayed for the third time his ambitious plan to import Chinese-made cars to the United States. REUTERS

The continental United States endured the hottest summer this year since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and the second-warmest since record-keeping began more than a century ago, forecasters said Thursday. AZ STAR

The recent sharp drop in the global price of crude oil could mark the start of a massive sell-off that returns gasoline prices to lows not seen since the late 1990s —perhaps as low as $1.15 a gallon. Seattle Times

Andy went to the opening of the new Comix nightclub last night in the meatpacking district in New York. Kathy Griffin was the club's opening act. Here are a couple (very) short clips he shot with his point-and-shoot camera in which she dishes about Mel Gibson, Barbara Walters, and Star Jones. Photo & Clips via TOWLEROAD

Thursday

The next PSB single will be "Numb", released on October 16 in an edit with new production by Trevor Horn. Bonus tracks will be "Party song" and "Bright young things", the former produced by Pet Shop Boys and the latter by Pet Shop Boys and Chris Zippel. A new dance mix of "Psychological" by Ewan Pearson will also be included on a limited edition 12" vinyl release.

The video for "Numb" (edited to the original album version) has recently been completed and is described by the directors as "an icy emotional landscape of borrowed dreams, sewn together with the power and style of Russian constructivist cinema". Official PSB Website

"Secretary Rumsfeld has failed in managing the military response to this threat and should be replaced with someone who is capable of not only recognizing the mistakes that have been made but addressing them head on for the good of our military and our great nation," RAW STORY

In a rare move, Apple provided a sneak peek of the long rumored Apple media center. Currently without a final product name, it has been codenamed iTV and has the apperance of a flattened Mac mini. ENGADGET